1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal serial bus (USB) receptacle connector, and particularly to a USB receptacle connector which can ensure reliable grounding and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding.
2. Description of Related Art
USB electrical connectors have been recently developed to replace a variety of computer input/output connectors for connection with various peripheral devices, for example, a mouse, keyboard, printer and scanner. Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a conventional USB receptacle connector 7 which can connect with a conventional mating plug connector 7xe2x80x2 comprises an insulative housing 70, a plurality of terminals 72 received in the insulative housing 70, a front shell 74 covering the front of the insulative, housing 70 and a rear shell 75 covering the rear of the insulative housing 70. The front shell 74 comprises a mating opening 740. Either of two opposite sides 743 of the mating opening 740 defines a pair of latches 741 extending from a mid-rear end of the front shell 74 to the mating opening 740. The latch 741 defines an engaging head 742 bent toward the insulative housing 70. When the USB receptacle connector 7 connects with the mating plug connector 7xe2x80x2, the engaging heads 742 slide into rectangular holes 72xe2x80x2 of an outer face 71xe2x80x2 of a shell 74xe2x80x2 of the mating plug connector 7xe2x80x2 and are received in the rectangular holes 72xe2x80x2. After the front shell 74 of the USB receptacle connector 7 connects with the shell 74xe2x80x2 of the mating plug connector 7xe2x80x2, the two shells 74 and 74xe2x80x2 can be grounded so as to ensure EMI shielding.
However, during the mating/unmating of the two connectors 7 and 7xe2x80x2, the front shell 74 of the connector 7 is often enlarged and the engaging heads 742 of the latch 741 of the front shell 74 do not always contact with the outer face 71xe2x80x2 of the shell 74xe2x80x2 and therefore may have interval interruption. Referring to FIG. 6, the engaging heads 742 of the latch 741 of the front shell 74 are received in the rectangular holes 72xe2x80x2 but do not contact with the shell 74xe2x80x2. Thus, the connection of the two shells 74 and 74xe2x80x2 is not reliable.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a USB receptacle connector wherein its shell defines a pair of contact tabs so as to make the shell of the USB receptacle connector continuously connect with the shell of the mating plug connector and ensure the USB receptacle connector havefavorable effect of EMI shielding all the time.
In order to achieve the object set forth, a USB receptacle connector comprises an insulative housing, a front shell part covering the front of the insulative housing, a rear shell part covering the rear of the insulative housing and a plurality of terminals received in the insulative housing. The front shell part forms a mating port for insertion of a mating plug connector. Either of two sidewalls of the mating port defines a pair of latches extending forward to the mating port. The latch defines an engaging head bent toward the insulative housing. Either of two sidewalls of the front shell part defines a contact tab extending from the mating port rearward and between the two latches. The two contact tabs respectively define a contact portion bent toward the insulative housing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.